All posts tagged ‘imagination’

Emperor’s New Clothes is a board game designed by GeekDad’s Jonathan Liu and sponsored by Game Salute. When I saw what was in the box, I knew it was going to be a different kind of game. Though the pieces might make you think it’s a ruse…it’s actually far from it. The game is as complicated as you want it to be and rules can change every time the game is played.

Playing Emperor’s New Clothes at GameStorm15 in Vancouver, Washington. From left to right: V.I. Post, Keith Baker, Erik Wecks, and Rael Dornfest. Photo: Cathe Post

I have had the privilege of playing the game a few times. The latest time, at GameStorm 15, my daughter joined me in the game. After a couple of questions about how to play the game, she beat the pants off myself, and three other experienced gamers. She understood the roles being picked, the dice rolls, and the strategy, even as a seven-year-old.

As an avid board gamer myself, I didn’t want to spoil the game for you with a bunch of review lingo and “this is exactly what you will get when you back the Kickstarter”. Instead, I went straight to the designer and asked some questions that I hope encourage you to try the game for yourself.

GeekMom: How many years have you been an avid board gamer?

Jonathan Liu: I played some board games as a kid, of course, but that sort of dropped off in high school and college. In college I played a lot of SET but I can’t really remember playing a lot of other games at the time. It wasn’t until I moved to Portland that I met some people who introduced me to games like Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, and Loot that I really dove into games again. So my own board gaming renaissance happened about six or seven years ago.

GM: Do you think this experience of running this Kickstarter campaign is similar to the experiences of others who have kickstarted board games?

JL: Yes and no. The emotional ups and downs of running a Kickstarter campaign, seeing feedback (both positive and negative) about your project, trying to respond to everything in a timely fashion and not having enough hours in the day—I think all of those are pretty common to any project, board games or not.

I suppose there are some games which have big ups and downs in their funding levels, but I think the theme of my game has really brought out the pranksters. The first weekend we had somebody pledge $10,000 and then cancel it after a few days. Just this past weekend we had somebody else drop out—who had apparently pledged $2,500. I don’t see all the numbers since the campaign is run through Game Salute and Springboard, so from my perspective I really can’t count any chickens. That’s nerve-wracking, not knowing how many “real” backers I actually have.

But I suppose part of that is because my project isn’t just the board game, but also incorporates a new printing technology and some gaming accessories. So some people may be backing because they actually want to play the game, while others are backing because they want to support the use of the Regulated Operator Optical Screenprinting (ROOS). That’s probably less typical in other board game Kickstarter campaigns.

GM: What games inspired the mechanics system used in Emperor’s New Clothes?

JL: There are a number of games with hidden roles: BANG!, Citadels, Werewolf/Mafia, The Resistance. I love the psychological aspects of trying to figure out who’s who and what their objectives are. I did end up borrowing Citadels‘ process, where you remove one card first before the first player chooses a role—it’s a way to give everyone a choice of role (rather than randomly dealt) but doesn’t give the second player too much information about who the first player is.

The die-rolling is obviously Yahtzee-style: you get to roll three times, and collect resources based on that. The action/event cards are from any number of games: things like extra dice, stealing resources, getting extra points, and so forth. It doesn’t look like we’ll hit the stretch goals for the real-time mechanics, which is too bad, because that’s inspired by games like Wok Star and Escape, where you have a specific amount of time to play your turn, making you make decisions really quickly.

GM: Are there going to be any expansions with black backgrounds instead of white? Have there been any experiments with the Regulated Operator Optical Screening to experiment with colors? (grin)

JL: Well, the ROOS really works best on white backgrounds; that’s why our T-shirt is the cover art on a white shirt rather than black (despite the preferences of most gamers), because you just really can’t see anything once you try printing on a black surface. The ROOS is, of course, all about making the colors show up just as well for color blind players as for non–color blind players. We’ve simply tweaked it so that they appear invisible to people who are gamer-blind.

GM: How do you respond to other dedicated table-top gamers who have questioned the seriousness of Emperor’s New Clothes?

JL: Well, first of all, anyone who is concerned about the seriousness of Emperor’s New Clothes is sort of missing the point: it’s not meant to be serious. Using the ROOS means that people who take things too seriously won’t see anything at all on the cards and board, and they don’t have to back it. The people who will enjoy the game are those who can see the game in the video and photos—those are the ones who will enjoy playing it, and it’s because they’re not so serious about it.

That said, there is a lot of serious thought that went into the design of the game, and that’s harder to get across, but that’s what the updates are for. If you go back and read the Designer Diary entries, that’s where the meat of the project really is. You don’t have to read all of that to enjoy the game, just like you don’t have to study video game design to enjoy playing on a Wii—but some people (like me) really like to geek out over the back story and details, and I wanted to give people a chance to do that with me.

GM: Calvinball vs. Emperor’s New Clothes. Go.

JL:Calvinball is, of course, a much more physical activity and thematically it’s pretty chaotic. Anything goes. I think it could make for a really fun game, along the lines of 1,000 Blank White Cards, but of course you’d never get Bill Watterson to license that.

Emperor’s New Clothes tells a story and is a lot more structured: the order of role selection, rolling dice, collecting resources, and scoring points happens every round. All of the characters and their abilities are based on the theme, and those are quite static. They interact with each other, but in predictable ways. But there is a sort of emergent behavior that arises from combinations of simple actions and rules that can feel chaotic, but it’s controlled chaos. I think Calvinball is a little more unrestrained chaos—but then, I’ve never had the rules spelled out for me. I suppose for somebody watching a game of Emperor’s New Clothes from the outside, it might seem like unrestrained chaos, too.

If you are still questioning if Emperor’s New Clothes is a game for your collection, you can check out the rules and the print and play from the Kickstarter page. There is also a video above where you can see how the game is played. I played the playtest version, and the pieces were pretty high quality. The final version promises to be even higher quality. The ROOS is not only an original game idea, it also gives the game the high probability of being played many times since the game is different every time.

I am not a gamer, but I love video game creation for kids. Anything that incorporates the creative arts into technology is perfect learning in my book. Which is why I’m happy to report that the 2013 National STEM Video Game Challenge–now in its third year–is now accepting entries through the end of April.

Do you know a kid in middle or high school who loves to play video games? Encourage them to try and create their own! The many game-making platforms like Gamestar Mechanic, Microsoft’s Kodu, GameMaker, and Scratch make it simple. Students can even enter a written design idea. Whether or not their their game wins the challenge, there’s plenty to be gained from the experience. The creation is such a wonderful tool for imagination, and a reward in and of itself! Plus, part of making any game is having someone play it; trying out your child’s game as they develop it is fun (I’m a constant play-tester for my son) and they learn how to take feedback. Groups can enter as well, so how about siblings working together?

If your child’s school has a computer classroom, let the teacher know about the challenge, and maybe it could be a class project. What a great way to learn!

It’s encouraging to look at the many businesses that are sponsoring this event: the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, E-Line Media, the AMD Foundation, Microsoft’s Xbox 360, the Entertainment Software Association, the Hive Digital Media Learning Fund in The New York Community Trust and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency that will assist with broadening the reach of the Challenge through the inclusion of museums and libraries as gaming venues outside of schools.

The prizes are new laptop computers with design software, and cash prize for the sponsoring organization.

My three year old just brought his Lego car creations to life. How you might ask? The new Makego app for the iPhone or iPod Touch. Makego is available on the iTunes store for two dollars. Let your kids create a car, boat or truck, slip your device in and breathe life into their once inanimate creations.

Chris O’Shea is the mastermind behind this really cool app. He is a British artist/designer that uses technology to create innovative ways to bring play to life. He has worked in collaborations with the BBC, Design Museum London and Science Gallery Dublin, among others.

This app was a real joy to watch my son explore. He was excited to pull out his Legos and create a car, he was really surprised when I pulled out my iPhone and put it on top and shooing him that the car he made now makes sounds and has a passenger. After a little bit of practice, his favorite of the three modes was the ice cream truck. He loved interacting with the screen to serve and take money, while still being able to move around via his Legos.

I thought it was really intriguing how Chris managed to get you to interact with the game without it taking over the imaginative play. For example, the boat mode is pretty unassuming and calm, but occasionally without warning, the boat will spring a leak that you will have to repair in order to continue. The app isn’t a traditional game, it really is an extension of your child’s own curiosity and exploration. How do you think your child would play with this? Would they make paper vehicles? Lego ones?

I’d recommend this app to any of my iPhone parent friends, in fact I’ll do just that.I’m going to give away five free redemption codes for the Makego app. All you need to do is make a comment below and tell us what your kids favorite Apple App is so far. You have until 12pm EDT Friday, March 30th to enter. I’ll randomly draw 5 entries and email the redemption code directly to you.

A little girl who can’t keep sarcastic asides to herself isn’t silenced by a nonsense term, especially when the invective is hurled by underpaid math teachers who are encased in terribly unflattering polyester slacks. The ultimate not-smart pants.

Now I’m well into adulthood and still too smart for my pants, thank you. I’m also not living up to my potential, just as my teachers predicted.

Maybe it’s time I came up with pants so brilliant that my naysayers would be forever silenced by awe. (And really, why haven’t trousers evolved to be more useful?) Futuristic technology must be out there just waiting to be applied to legs and backsides in a fashionable manner. Here are some features I think Smarty Pants should offer the savvy wearer.

1. Zapper to halt any verbal or physical form of stupidity. Imitating the irritating way your boss smacks her lips for emphasis after every third word? Smarty Pants will helpfully jolt you with a mild electric shock if your boss is in range. Tempted to accept a drink with whoever is waving from the shadows of the airport bar? Your pants will know if that’s the pilot. Zap again.

2. A memory chip. This technology will mobilize at the first sign of perplexity. Forgotten names, numbers and directions will appear on a Post-It in the Smarty Pants pocket for discreet retrieval. This could come in handy as the decades roll by.

3. Low dose laser to melt fat in preselected areas even while the pants wearer is noshing on a post-lunch snack. Disclaimer: noticeable steam generated by the device must be dissipated by walking briskly or swiveling in one’s office chair.

4. Seat belt tightener for those situations where the Smarty Pants wearer is sharing the road with idiots. Or is driving like an idiot. It happens.

5. Anti-skid device. Not that kind. The kind that helps the wearer remain upright and avoid slipping on ice, tripping over curbs, skidding on banana peels, you know, equilibrium cruise control. Graceful strolling guaranteed, even for the chronic klutzes.

6. Warming and cooling agents. Hot wait on a plastic seat at the DMV? Smarty Pants will provide a zone of frosty coolness from waistband to ankles. Tobogganing on a sudden whim? Smarty Pants will make sure you are a hottie. But not so toasty that you melt the ice.

7. Wrinkle-free, stain-proof and fade-free fabric. What’s more, these exceptional trousers will also be fireproof, inflate as emergency flotation devices, deflect bullets and sport James Bond-like gadgets which are so top secret that each pair of pants will be unique. Figuring out the instruction manual may require tech support.

8.Auxiliary wit, of course. Smarty Pants will telepathically transmit clever banter and satirical remarks for every occasion. Unfortunately, this may become habit. Human smarty pants rarely know when to keep comments to themselves. It isn’t likely that the trousers model will be any more discerning.

What other features would you like the world’s smartest pants to offer?

When I saw the advertisements around my humble town of Shreveport, Louisiana for a production of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, I thought to myself, “Oh, a puppet show. That’s nice; another way to enjoy the story, besides just watching the movie.” After actually experiencing it a few days ago with my husband and 11-year-old son, Sammy, I quickly realized that my previous thoughts on the matter were glaring understatements and didn’t do the production justice at all. In the words of the well-traveled Sammy, “This is the best thing I have ever been to in my entire life; it’s even better than Legoland!” That’s a serious comparison coming from a boy who for three years, before actually spending a day at Legoland, saved up every single free pass to the theme park that came with a new Lego set, even after they had expired.

Sammy gives his review of Fox after the show while hagning out with narrator Caleb Gaston, who is his buddy and fellow Whovian!

After buying our tickets online, I did a little research about the production and the people behind the making of Fantastic Mr. Fox. I found out that it is the brain-child of three totally cool guys (in my personal opinion). Arthur Mintz, who had previously worked on Disney’s James and the Giant Peach, came up with the idea of adapting the story of Mr. Fox’s adventures into such a cool, interactive experience. He got together with pals Jacques and Rene Duffourc, who agreed to help make it all happen. It wasn’t long before Hi-YAH! Productions was started. Fantastic Mr. Fox opened in New Orleans, in late 2010, to rave reviews and eventually sold-out shows. It had to be extended several times due to its immense popularity.

William Joyce, creator of the PBS animated series George Shrinks and the hit Disney cartoon Roly Polie Olie, calls Shreveport his home and is on the Advisory Board for a local art, theater and music exhibition center, not to mention all around amazing place, in our downtown called artspace. I got to chat with Jacques Duffourc after the show, and he told me that Mr. Joyce made them “an offer that they couldn’t refuse” to bring Fox to artspace in Shreveport. Even with a list of demands, like needing to cut holes in walls and take up space on several floors of the building, Jaques told me that artspace has been wonderful and that they couldn’t have pulled it all off without the support they’ve gotten from everyone involved. I have to admit that I am glad it all worked out: I’m about to tell you a little bit about the show, without spoiling it, because if you are lucky, you may be within driving distance. If not, Jacques seems pretty confident that Fox is on it’s way up; several agencies from New York and Los Angeles have shown interest in the production, so it could be headed your way sometime soon, after a hoped-for blessing from the Roald Dahl estate.

We first entered downstairs, to a normal looking basement-type of room, decorated with the artwork of children who had drawn their own “wanted” posters for Mr. Fox. A television played a loop of a short preview of what was to come. It wasn’t long before Jacques greeted everyone and lead the audience of about 25 kids and adults (the maximum per show is 30) to an elevator that we we all rode up one floor, ten at a time, to a seating area where the show would begin. The first thing I noticed was the curtain; it was sewn together with bits of fabric and various clothing; most recognizable was a pair of khaki-colored corduroy jeans. “Neato!” I said, pointing them out to Sammy. The curtain parted and the very exuberant narrator, wearing two different-colored Chuck Taylor All Star tennis shoes, began telling us a little of the back story of Mr. Fox, the main character. He imparted a few gags that the kids got quite a kick out of, but I won’t ruin it here, in case you are ever an audience member. One in particular got praise from Sammy, considering that the narrator that night happened to be one of his older classmates from kung fu class, a young man named Caleb, and he gave a little extra attention to my son, who was sitting on the front row.

Over the Hill, image courtesy of artspaceshreveport.com.

The audience didn’t sit long; we were soon given headlamps and adults were offered knee pads (which I later wished I had taken advantage of) so that we could literally crawl into the story book! Our head lamps lit the path as we found our way through dark tunnels, pieced together quite creatively from pieces of cardboard boxes, and came out into the first of many wonderful sets, called “Over the Hill.” Being inside the set like that, crawling around and sitting on the cardboard-covered floors, looking around in wonder at all of the great detail and artistry that went into making it all so wonderful and elaborate, made me feel like I was a kid again. I was back in my own bedroom, an eight-year-old little girl, playing house inside of a shelter that I had carefully built with the sheets and blankets confiscated from all of the beds in my home. It was magical, without a doubt.

We moved into different sets, by means of more tunnels, a ladder and even slides. Some parents opted to take the “back way,” and I even did that a time or two, to save my knees a little grief and to get to see what the outside of the set looked like. It was amazing! Overtaking the stairwell and several floors of the building were the tunnels and slides, covered in up-cycled cardboard that had been torn apart and pieced back together again. Jacques later told me, after the show, of the “cardboard parties” they hosted in order to build the set, inviting volunteers to come and piece it all together, with the promise of a little food or drink in exchange.

Mr. Fox and his puppeteer for our performance, Cazes Verbois.

The audience never sat back and just “watched a puppet show.” We were actually in the show. The puppeteers were in the sets with us; they wore clothes that blended into the background and although it was obvious they were there, after awhile, you just didn’t notice or care that they were. At times throughout the show, the narrator encouraged us to shout, to yell, to tell the characters what they should do. We all formed a bond and were very comfortable with one another; we were are in this experience together and we were having a great time! A few of the younger kids got a little frightened at moments, like when scenes went dark or a rather large puppet would come into a scene unexpectedly. The show is recommended for ages four and up due to the “athletic nature of the performance and crawling and sliding required,” but I think that is a good age to judge its appropriateness by also, considering the few screams and whimpers I heard from the under-four crowd when a few thematic elements got underway. It seemed so real at times that a few toddlers wanted to leave, but to me, that just shows the high quality of the production itself. I also noticed that towards the end, some of those same kiddos showed a little more bravery and were no worse for the wear. When I asked him what one of the most rewarding parts of putting on the performance was, Jacques told me that for him, it was watching the transformation of the children, going from unsure and a little bit frightened, to brave and ready to take on whatever the next tunnel would bring. I would have to agree with him on that; after reassuring a few kids that it was all going to be just fine, I noticed them later cheering and exclaiming about how much they loved it and wanted to come back.

The puppeteers of Fantastic Mr. Fox, showing for a limited time at artspace in Shreveport, Louisiana.

In today’s day and age, our children are over loaded with digital devices and electronic entertainment. It’s rare to find a kid who doesn’t own an iPod, iPhone, Nintendo DSi or other hand-held device that keeps them from ever having a dull moment. Even in taking our children out of the home for entertainment, we all usually just sit and watch, depending on someone or something else to dance, sing or make bright colors interesting enough to take us away from something else that could possibly be even more interesting and engaging. It is truly refreshing to be a part of an event — yes, I will call it an event, because it is not just a “show” in my opinion — that makes the audience feel like they are right there in the story, and the only way they will find out more is to get on their hands and knees and crawl to the next scene. Instead of just absorbing moving images on a screen, we were participants and we had to be engaged. The children got to touch, jump, slide, climb, crawl and even at one point, snack, right there in the performance.

Sammy hangs out with Cub, who is a little geekling, much like he is!

Parents in today’s society, as a whole, seem to have gotten away from letting kids really have fun. We’ve all heard of “helicopter parents,” the kind that constantly hover over their children, fearful that something bad may happen to them if they don’t watch over them all the time. Kids need to just be kids; they need to jump, run, crawl, slide and get dirty sometimes. I did it when I was a kid and I seemed to have turned out okay (for the most part!). How else can children learn to rely on themselves and figure things out on their own, if their parents are always making every little decision for them? Fantastic Mr. Fox at artspace is a wonderful example of good ideas, creative interactive theater, great fun, and a great way for kids (and parents) to let go and have a good old-fashioned fun time, while leaving the television and video games systems at home for a night. I truly hope that a lot of GeekMom readers are within driving distance; it is well worth whatever number of hours away you have to travel to see it. It is only showing until the end of November, and there are plenty of other great things to do in the area, so it would be well worth it to make a day, or even a weekend out of it.

Later: “Mom, what’s a god?” Something like an imaginary friend who hogs all the good stuff and bosses you around, then gets mad whenever you do something they don’t like. “Why would anyone make-believe that?!”

Best question ever! But of course I feel that way; I’m an atheist.

I had a religious upbringing, but what I actually believed growing-up was that everyone in town got together on Sundays for a big game of pretend. We listened to fairy tales and sang songs about magical things, just like in Disney movies. Church was fun until someone broke me the bad news: In a community of true-believers, I was the only one pretending.

My son will obviously never have quite the same experience with religion that I had growing up, but atheists are still in the minority. Truly secular parenting resources are scanty compared to the faith-based alternative, so whenever I come across something supportive of science-based living, I am delighted. Especially when that support takes the form of a music video I can add to an online playlist for my son to sing along with whenever he’s not in the mood for magical things.

For skeptics and others with a good sense of humor about faith, I give you the Irrational Nonsense Blues, by Ross Exton:

Anyone who has ever watched children play knows they are not merely building with blocks, squishing clay, or coloring with crayons. They are telling themselves a story the whole time, building a world and creating characters as they “play”. Because of that natural born love of a good story, it often doesn’t take much to nudge a kid into a full scale writing geek.

I am often invited to schools to do presentations or author visits, usually with the hope that meeting an author will help get kids fired up about their own writing. Whenever I do these visits, I always ask the students the same question: Who likes to write? Around 50% of the kids raise their hands. When I ask the question again, this time adding, “Who likes to write if you get to ignore all the rules,” 98% of the kids raise their hands. Hugely different response!

The following tips are designed to help remind your child—and yourself—that writing can also be a form of play; to help turn them into a story geek rather than a writing robot suffocating under too many rules. The goal is to reinforce those parts of writing that equal play in your child’s eyes and ignore the rest.

Let them give rein to their natural enthusiasm and sense of play by ignoring the writing rules that make it feel like work. You want them to get in touch with that intuitive part of themselves that recognizes that writing and creating can be play. Rules can always be taught later, but a sense of joy, once lost, is very hard to recapture.

Invest in nice quality notebooks and pens. It’s easy to dismiss the very kinesthetic pleasures of writing—the feel of a silky pen flowing across thick, smooth paper. High quality pens and notebooks can bring that extra pleasure to the act of writing. Plus it signals to them that this is a valued activity, one that can feel good physically and one that the adults in their lives value enough to indulge them in.

Give them permission to not show anyone their work if they so choose (even you!). Some people need absolute privacy in which to experiment and risk failure, especially children who are used to doing exceptionally well at things.

Donot critique their writing, even if they beg you. If they are dying for feedback, let them know what they did really well. Or better yet, ask them which part they had the most fun doing.

As hard as it is for us adults, do not weigh down your child’s writing with your desires, dreams, and ambitions. If you child loves to write and spends hours writing, do not begin pushing them to become a writer or enter writing contests or in any way burden their writing with expectations of careers or publication. Let writing be one area of their lives that is process oriented rather than result oriented.

My husband brought home a dark red cardboard box that was no bigger than a schoolbook. When I found out the little rat warrior miniatures in the box weren’t for any Dungeons and Dragons story line we were playing, but instead were for a wargame called Warhammer, I quickly lost interest in what my husband was doing…until he started getting into my polymer clay to make unique bases for each miniature, and into my paints and paintbrushes to bring out the detail of the characters. Then, I started thinking, maybe this game is for me.

Warhammer is a miniatures war game that is (from my observations) predominately played by 25-50 year old males. Thankfully, I was not terribly nervous about joining an escalation tournament in a local league. It’s sad there aren’t as many women as men playing this game. There are so many reasons to play!

My army is ready to charge...me.

7 reasons as a wife, mom, or woman that you should play Warhammer:

Strategy - As a mom, it is always important to not let your strategic skills drop to a non-adult level.

Spacial reasoning – Use game play as an opportunity to hone your interior decorating skills. If you can deploy and march your miniatures army effectively, imagine how efficiently you could arrange your living space or pack luggage.

Spirited debate – Even with a four year old I feel like I am constantly arguing with a teenager. There is a fine line between arguing and debating, but one game of Warhammer normally contains at least one rules debate.

Adult time – Let’s be honest: it’s fun to play games with the kids, but how many games of Candyland can you take?

Carnage – After a long day, you just want to go ‘Office Space’ on something – ANYTHING! What better way than with dice and fantasy creatures!

Date – Chances are, if you are starting to play Warhammer as a mom, you know someone else who plays it as well. If the person you know is your husband, make it a date night! If you are lacking a significant other to play with, there are a good number of nice single guys who play (and would probably think it’s totally HOT that a single girl plays or wants to learn).

Art - Okay, even if you aren’t for imagined blood and carnage, there is an artistic side to this game. You pick your army, you assemble them and you paint them. If you don’t like what a member of your unit looks like, find what you like and create it. You are given complete artistic license over what your army looks like.

Saurus banner carrier.

I should probably point out that Warhammer Fantasy is a different game from Warhammer 40,000. Warhammer 40,000, or 40k, is a futuristic space-themed game that attracts a younger crowd than Fantasy (‘tween and teen age boys are much more likely to play 40k), but I choose to play a game that I can share company with a (generally) more age appropriate crowd, at least in my area.

I looked at all of the armies and chose to play a Lizardmen army. What army will you choose?

You may be in the midst of celebrating World Space Week. Who doesn’t look for reasons to dress up in space costumes, conduct experiments, eat themed foods, and of course indulge in sci-fi?

But it’s also time for the fourth Google Lunar X Prize Team Summit. This takes the space race beyond government initiatives. Privately funded teams are competing to send a craft to the Moon by December 31, 2012. To win $20 million they must complete Google Lunar X Prize mission objectives. These include landing, traveling across the Moon’s surface with a robot, plus transmitting images and other data.

Competitors from registered teams are gathering this week on the Isle of Man. They have official meetings to attend as well as time to star-gaze from a 13th century castle. They’ll also work with local students to promote the career possibilities found in science, engineering and math.

Our kids wouldn’t mind getting a shot at designing a lunar robot, never mind the prize perks. They already dream big as they construct with LEGO bricks and compete in imaginative science programs. They know space is the province of those whose dreams are too big for Earth.

Because I write fantasy novels for kids, I am often asked, Why fantasy? Not only why do I write it, but why is fantasy so important for young readers? Of course, the answers are as unique and varied as the kids who read it, but I have managed to identify a few core reasons.

Fantasy feeds our sense of wonder. This lesson was driven home for me when my son was ten years old and decided he knew the truth about the tooth fairy. Even more, he wanted me to admit it; to admit I was the person placing quarters under his pillow, not some quaint little fairy person. I resisted for days until finally, I decided if he was pushing this hard, he must truly be ready to know. So I confessed.

Anyone who has ever watched children play knows they are not merely building with blocks, squishing clay, or coloring with crayons. They are telling themselves a story the whole time, building a world and creating characters as they “play”. Because of that natural born love of a good story, it often doesn’t take much to nudge a kid into a full scale writing geek.

I am often invited to schools to do presentations or author visits, usually with the hope that meeting an author will help get kids fired up about their own writing. Whenever I do these visits, I always ask the students the same question: Who likes to write? Around 50% of the kids raise their hands. When I ask the question again, this time adding, “Who likes to write if you get to ignore all the rules,” 98% of the kids raise their hands. Hugely different response!

The following tips are designed to help remind your child—and yourself—that writing can also be a form of play; to help turn them into a story geek rather than a writing robot suffocating under too many rules. The goal is to reinforce those parts of writing that equal play in your child’s eyes and ignore the rest.

Let them give rein to their natural enthusiasm and sense of play by ignoring the writing rules that make it feel like work. You want them to get in touch with that intuitive part of themselves that recognizes that writing and creating can be play. Rules can always be taught later, but a sense of joy, once lost, is very hard to recapture.

Invest in nice quality notebooks and pens. It’s easy to dismiss the very kinesthetic pleasures of writing—the feel of a silky pen flowing across thick, smooth paper. High quality pens and notebooks can bring that extra pleasure to the act of writing. Plus it signals to them that this is a valued activity, one that can feel good physically and one that the adults in their lives value enough to indulge them in.

Give them permission to not show anyone their work if they so choose (even you!). Some people need absolute privacy in which to experiment and risk failure, especially children who are used to doing exceptionally well at things.

Donot critique their writing, even if they beg you. If they are dying for feedback, let them know what they did really well. Or better yet, ask them which part they had the most fun doing.

As hard as it is for us adults, do not weigh down your child’s writing with your desires, dreams, and ambitions. If you child loves to write and spends hours writing, do not begin pushing them to become a writer or enter writing contests or in any way burden their writing with expectations of careers or publication. Let writing be one area of their lives that is process oriented rather than result oriented.